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The UFC has always been built on the back of epic rivalries. Many have produced some of the promotion’s best-loved fights, with the likes of Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz and Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz instantly coming to mind.
While some great rivalries have produced great fights for the UFC, unfortunately this has not been the case on every occasion, as some major feuds have unfortunately led to damp squibs.
Sometimes these disappointing fights were caused by too much respect between the fighters. Other times, one or both of the combatants seemed to simply overthink the task ahead of them.
Either way, whenever a bitter rivalry produces a poor fight, it’s disappointing for both the fans and the promotion itself.
Here are five intense UFC rivalries that produced disappointing fights.
#5. Ken Shamrock vs. Royce Gracie – UFC 5
The UFC’s earliest shows were promoted as a way to find which martial art was the most effective in a “real fight” scenario. However, it didn’t take long for the promotion to realize that pushing star fighters was the way to really build momentum.
The first star built by the fledgling promotion was Royce Gracie, whose Brazilian jiu-jitsu flummoxed every fighter he faced in the first four tournaments he participated in. That introduced the world to the idea of ground fighting and submissions.
The second fighter was not quite as successful as Gracie inside the octagon, but Ken Shamrock looked and carried himself like a star. By the time the promotion’s fifth show came around, fans were clamoring for him to have a second shot at Gracie, who had submitted a less-experienced Shamrock in the inaugural tournament.
UFC 5, therefore, was headlined by a second clash between the two, with a newly-introduced ‘Superfight’ title on the line. Everyone was intrigued as to whether Gracie could submit Shamrock again, or whether the superior power of ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Man’ would pull him through.
In the end, neither thing happened. Shamrock was happy to settle into Gracie’s guard and while he was able to neutralize the Brazilian’s submissions, he was unable to risk putting much offense together himself.
The fight somehow dragged on for a total of 36 minutes. When it finally ended and was declared a draw, the fans showered the octagon with boos, even as the two fighters showed each other respect.
This rivalry could hardly have produced a more disappointing outcome. While Bellator MMA promoted a third fight between the two, with both men in their 50’s, in 2016, it couldn’t wash away the stench of this clash.
#4. Tim Sylvia vs. Andrei Arlovski – UFC 61
It’s safe to say that Tim Sylvia’s feud with Andrei Arlovski, despite coming in a dark period for the division, remains one of the more storied in UFC heavyweight history. However, it would be far better remembered had the third fight between the two not been so disappointing.
The two big men first met at UFC 51 with the interim heavyweight title on the line. The fight ended dramatically as Arlovski dropped ‘The Maine-Iac’ and then submitted him with an Achilles lock in under a minute.
A year went by before the two rematched. While Arlovski thought he’d got the job done again when he dropped Sylvia with a right hand, this time things would be different. ‘The Maine-Iac’ rose up from the dead, caught ‘The Pitbull’ with a short uppercut and finished him off to claim the heavyweight crown.
After a pair of such dramatic clashes, it made sense to book a third bout between the two, but if fans expected a classic, they were severely mistaken.
Both Sylvia and Arlovski seemed shaken by the punching power of the other man. Rather than exchange like they’d done in their first two fights, they simply circled around and threw the odd feeler strike from distance.
The bout ended up going the distance. While Sylvia was granted a decision win, it felt like neither man had won, especially in the eyes of the fans. This was one UFC feud that ended not with a bang, but with a serious whimper.
#3. Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz – UFC 158
When the UFC bought out its rival promotion Strikeforce in early 2011, the one inter-promotional fight that most fans really wanted to see was a battle between welterweight champions Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz.
Sure enough, Diaz came aboard and a fight with GSP was signed. However, before it could happen, the Canadian blew his knee out and was sidelined for over a year.
Diaz instead defeated UFC legend B.J. Penn and subsequently called St-Pierre out, claiming that he wasn’t hurt, but instead was scared of the Stockton native. The callout triggered a major feud between the two stars. Suddenly, the fight became even bigger than before.
By the time it finally came around in March 2013, the entire MMA and UFC world was salivating over what could happen.
St-Pierre, who had been criticized for his conservative approach, promised that he was willing to go to a “dark place” in order to defeat Diaz. Meanwhile, Diaz simply maintained he had the skills to overcome the champion and offered those views in his trademark blunt fashion.
However, while fans expected fireworks when the two men squared off, they were instead greeted with a mere sparkler instead.
Rather than attack Diaz in the violent way he’d promised, GSP simply stuck to his usual gameplan. He jabbed and wrestled his foe, while Diaz offered very little in return.
It wasn’t a bad fight per say, but it certainly didn’t live up to the hype. When St-Pierre won a clear-cut decision, it was hard not to see the bout and the feud in general as a huge disappointment.
#2. Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson vs. Rashad Evans – UFC 114
The UFC has seen few fights with quite as much bad blood as the clash between light heavyweight stars Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Rashad Evans in May 2010.
What began as a seemingly friendly rivalry quickly spiraled out of control when the two men coached against one another during the 10th series of The Ultimate Fighter. It felt like a brawl was likely to go off at any time during the reality show.
Despite the fight being delayed due to Jackson’s part in filming The A-Team, by the time it was finally booked at UFC 114, the feud certainly hadn’t lost any steam. ‘Rampage’ continued to throw an insane number of insults at Evans, who responded with the ultimate low blow when he labeled Jackson an ‘Uncle Tom’.
However, despite an epic build, as well as an epic staredown that left fans buzzing, the fight failed to even come close to expectations.
Apparently, while Evans despised ‘Rampage’, he was still smart enough to fight using a clever gameplan. While he did hurt his opponent with the first punch he threw – a jackhammer right hand – he then focused on clinching and wrestling, grinding Jackson down and forcing him to tire out.
‘Rampage’ did attempt a comeback in the third round, hurting Evans with punches, but it wasn’t enough. In the end, ‘Suga’ was rewarded with a decision win.
However, more than anything, the reputations of both men were hurt by the dull fight. After such an epic feud, fans expected a wild brawl and the bout didn’t come close to delivering that.
#1. Ken Shamrock vs. Dan Severn – UFC 9
If UFC fans were disappointed with Ken Shamrock’s second bout with his rival Royce Gracie, they probably felt far worse when they witnessed the culmination of his feud with Dan Severn.
‘The World’s Most Dangerous Man’ had first faced ‘The Beast’ at UFC 6 and their encounter ended with probably Shamrock’s most impressive win in the octagon. He caught Severn in a front choke and forced him to submit after just two minutes.
That win made Shamrock the promotion’s Superfight champion. While he defended his title successfully against Oleg Taktarov and Kimo Leopoldo, after Severn ran through the field at the ‘Ultimate Ultimate’ tournament, it was clear that there was money in a rematch.
The promotion obliged and booked the fight to headline their first event in Detroit, with the Superfight title on the line. However, from that point on, things simply didn’t go to plan.
Prior to the event, a campaign by Senator John McCain to get the UFC banned altogether forced courts in Detroit to enforce some new rules in the octagon – namely, banning punches to the head with closed fists and headbutts, as well as kicking while wearing wrestling shoes.
While some of the fighters on the card simply ignored these rules, Severn and Shamrock evidently decided to take them to heart. They treated the crowd to 30 minutes of circling with little to no contact, angering them beyond belief.
In the end, Severn was awarded a decision victory and claimed the title, but both men saw their reputations badly damaged by the clash.
This fight was so bad that even an attempt by WWE to recreate the feud a couple of years later was instantly rejected by viewers. It remains the most disappointing ending to a major feud in the UFC.
